WE'RE AWESOME BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE ARE AWESOME

We thrive when coming up with innovative ideas but also understand that a smart concept should be supported with measurable results.

We have offices in six places, but we only have one team. And an eclectic bunch of individuals it is… journalists, marketers, words people and numbers people living in perfect harmony, designers and documentary film makers. Everyone is kind and curious. Because boring jerks aren’t allowed.

We pride ourselves on being irreverent and quirky and smart, working hard to deliver great work for our clients and having fun along the way because we’ve all been around long enough to know a good thing when we’ve got it.

LEAD PROJECT MANAGER

ALEXIS ODDSON

Being both arty and organized, Alexis loves to manage Chicago projects with a crafty flourish. Don’t be surprised to receive an artisanal focus group schedule and hand made screener with a bird on it.

SENIOR MANAGER

BRIAN FLANNERY

Brian is the 19th person with a beard to join The Sound. Unlike the 18 others, who simply adopted facial hair pour la mode, Brian was recently released from a secure unit where he was not allowed access to razors. He specializes in deprivation techniques and can out stare any respondent.

DIRECTOR

CHERYL SHOEMAKER

After 12 years experience on the client-side Cheryl firmly believes that partnership is a one-way street of unreasonable demands, faint praise and delayed payment. Her husband has not smiled since 1997.

SENIOR MANAGER

EVE EJSMONT

Eve is a massive fan of behavioural science and to help her co-workers understand what mode she is in she’s developed a thinking fast face and a thinking slow face. Get in touch by clicking here and ask her to send you picture of both, see if you can guess which is which.

PROJECT MANAGER

HAYLEY NICKERSON

Difficult to write a bio for someone who’s surname is kind of like knickers without referencing underwear. But that would make The Sound seem immature, silly and smutty. And that would be wrong.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

JEANNE CANTWELL

Simply put, Jeanne is a scholar. Not merely a scholar of journalism or marketing, in which she received her formal education. But a scholar of something even more critical to the human condition: She is a scholar of John Hughes films. Be it The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, or Pretty in Pink, Jeanne understands ’80s-era midwestern American mythos better than anyone we’ve ever met. She even liked Mr. Mom… and that takes dedication.

OFFICE MANAGER

JEN MARKERT

Jen runs our Chicago office and everyone really likes her, which is no surprise given that the meaning of Jen is literally ‘the cardinal Confucian virtue of benevolence to one’s fellowmen’. Who knew?

DIRECTOR

JERUSHA BENNETT

What can we say about Jerusha…

In Hebrew the meaning of the name Jerusha means: Married.

In Biblical the meaning of the name Jerusha means: Banished, possession, inheritance.

Take from that what you will!

SENIOR MANAGER

JESSE DIONE

Jesse is a small town boy who spent his formative years rummaging around in lakes looking at pond life. This lead to degrees in Chemistry, Environmental Science and a strong desire to conduct focus groups. He still wears waders and smells of fish.

DIRECTOR

KATE NOVAK

Drug fuelled dirty fingered singer songwriter Pete Doherty wrote a song called ‘What Katie did Next’. If he was writing about our Katie (as opposed to Kate Moss) the chorus would have been something like, ‘Katie joined The Sound because she wants to work with amazing clients in a culture that’s creative, inspiring and entrepreneurial’.

CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER

KELLI JOHNSON

Kelli has spent her career working in both qualitative research (where she did some awesome groups exploring cat ownership) and the less fabulous world of advertising (where she won some boring awards and went to supposedly fancy places). Having spent time on both sides of the research mirror she is equally concerned about how both her face and the back of her head look.

EDITOR

MICHAEL ALEXANDER

Do you know how many people The Sound hired in 2015? Nearly 20 people. That’s 20 new ‘engaging and informative’ bios that have to be written. Sometimes I had to write 2 or 3 a month and, frankly, it’s exhausting. So I complained and asked them to slow down with the hiring and do you know how many f*cks they gave that I’m having to write more bios than ever before? No f*cks. Anyway, this is Michael and apparently he makes films.

SENIOR MANAGER

MIGUEL CERVANTES

Le dimos el trabajo a Miguel porque nos dijo que era fluido en español y un investigador con experiencia hispanica. Si no puede leer esto, lo vamos a correr.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

RAYA LAWSON

Raya has requested her bio be turned into an infographic by one of our 5 designers who spend all day making our reports all beautiful and visual. Given they’re quite busy she’s going to have to wait a while.

HUMAN RESOURCES LEAD

SHONDA NELSON

So how is it that our HR head honcho is horrible with names..Yet, she can recall every detail of the conversation she had with you at dinner five years ago! Yeah, she really is a people person and she’s all ours.

ISABELLE KÅGE

Isabelle är från Sverige, så vi skrev bio på svenska. Hon hatar köttbullar och Abba.

SENIOR MANAGER

ALICE ELLEN

With a background in Gender and Cultural studies and a taste for fine Japanese whiskey, it’s only natural that Alice would be the magical mind behind Mammory Tapes, one of the most banging female-fronted disco nights in all of Londontown. And if there’s one thing The Sound can never get enough of, it’s mixing Cindy Lauper with a Suntory Hibiki on the rocks.

OFFICE MANAGER

DANIELLE WORRELL

Contemporary offices have things like free food, exercise spaces, sleeping pods and lectures by the worlds greatest thinkers. At The Sound we try and emulate this but with almost no budget allocated for doing so. Danielle is who we blame for our London office not being as nice as Google’s.

SENIOR MANAGER

HELEN TANG

Youthful Helen joined The Sound having previously enjoyed 3 years of conducting research for youth focused brands. So youthful is Helen, that aging gentlemen pay good money to bathe in her blood in a misguided quest for eternal youth. She is quite pale as a result.

ASSOCIATE

INES VIEIRA

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

LAURA DAVIS

Laura has the 6th sense; she sees respondents even when there are only people in the room. When she looks you firmly in the eye you’re literally seconds from being in a focus group.

VICE PRESIDENT

STUART KNAPMAN

Like a contradictory respondent in a focus group who loves something one minute and then claims to hate it the next, Stuart’s beard is a completely different color to his hair. As an experienced researcher Stuart has no issues navigating and interpreting hirsute dissonance.

HANNAH NUTLEY

Hannah is fucking great at insight. Nothing more to be said really.

DIRECTOR

AASISH FRANCIS

Aasish claims to have the best beard at The Sound. Which begs the question, what makes a good beard? Is it a something easy to measure, like length or density or is it something more complex related to the associations or feelings the beard invokes? Get in touch with Aasish to find out more about beards (link to email with subject title: I am confused about beards, help!)

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

AILI SEGHETTI

Did you know that in one state in India, police officers are given a pay increase for a having a moustache? And in Bengal cows have to have a photo ID card? And that sex toys are illegal in India? Aili knows all this, and more.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

JIMVARGHESE MUKUZHICAL

Jim joined The Sound because he also believes that there is nothing more brilliant than a simple yet beautiful answer that is easily understood. To that end, this is Jim.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

PRIYANKA BHANSALI

If you want to understand love, then speak to someone who’s been recently dumped. If you want to understand the pains of contemporary life, talk to someone who lives off the grid. If you want to understand the importance of having a work bio that reflects your qualifications, experience and interests, talk to Priyanka.

SUSHMA PANCHAWATI

Sushma’s wild hair is an analogy for her brain. We called her Untamed Panchawati. She didn’t know that until just now.

SENIOR EDITOR

GREG RAPOSA

Greg lives his life according to the latest from Big Data. He knows exactly what he’s doing, what he’s bought, where he’s been, and even where he’s probably going to go next…but he has absolutely no idea why. His facial expression is a combination of hugely smug and massively confused.

VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

HARJOT BASSRA

Harjot has more than 10 years’ experience of organizing stuff. She can read minds, see through walls, eats light, and sh*ts magic. She was invented in a lab in 1947.

PROJECT MANAGER

HAYLEY NICKERSON

Difficult to write a bio for someone who’s surname is kind of like knickers without referencing underwear. But that would make The Sound seem immature, silly and smutty. And that would be wrong.

HUMAN RESOURCES

HOWARD NEDRICK JR.

Howard Nedrick Jr does not like nicknames. In fact he asked to be called Sir Howard Nedrick Jr and we obliged.

VICE PRESIDENT, NEW YORK

JOHN BRODERICK

John Broderick is affectionately known as the ‘housewives favorite’ and charms both clients and respondents alike with his brilliant mind, easy manner and silky soft hands. He can make anyone do anything.

ASSOCIATE

MCKENZIE LARGAY

If you ask young people how they’re feeling right now do you know what the most common answer is? It’s ‘I am bored’. Given the Sound’s mantra is that everything we do must be Smart as F*ck and Never Boring, McKenzie should not be feeling bored at The Sound. To check, ask McKenzie how she’s feeling right now by clicking here.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

MEGAN WEISENBERGER

Did you know that nous is a philosophical term related to intellect and the ability to determine what is real or not? I didn’t, until I started to write this bio. Megan probably knows all about nous (or does now anyway).

DIRECTOR

NATASHA KHO

Like a good Sound Story, Natasha likes to make people think and be entertained at the same time, unlike this bio, which achieves neither.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

REBECCA ROTH

Rebecca is a craft master. And her crafts are many and equally mastered. She’s a potterist, a sewerist, a ceramicist and an IKEAist. She’s also a brilliant researcher with a background in anthropology and digital ethnography but she doesn’t let that small detail outshine her ability to assemble a FÄRLÖV with her eyes closed.

GRACE GAN

Grace is shit at reading instruction manuals. She’d rather sit on a two-legged stool than follow directions. Ask her for brand advice, but please don’t ask her to program your VCR clock.

VICE PRESIDENT, TORONTO

CAROLINE FLETCHER

Caroline is our lady on the ground in Toronto. With over 12 years experience of research and planning gained as a client she still spends all of her days in meetings regardless of whether we actually have any meetings going on.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

SONJA SOCKAT

With the recent advent of fake news and alternative facts, i just realized that these bios are really ahead of the game; I’ve been writing fake bios for over 10 years. Anyway this is Sonja and she recently changed the spelling of her name from Sonya to appear more interesting.

MANAGER

SOPHIE WELSMAN

When people join the Sound one of the first things they get excited about is their bio on this website. Well Sophie was no exception. Sophie was so excited about her bio that she kept asking and asking and asking for it to be written. Well creativity, like insights or strategy, doesn’t just arrive by magic. You need to be informed, inspired and in the mood… or the outputs might be a bit boring. We don’t do boring at The Sound. Sophie knows that now.

GLOBAL CEO

SIMON DANNATT

With over 200 years experience, Simon joined The Sound from Cello where he was President of Cello USA and CEO of the Value Engineers US. With his English accent and silver fox hair he’s known affectionately around the office as ‘the old English man with grey hair’. Claims to have a limp from running marathons but we think it’s a war wound.

VICE PRESIDENT, VANCOUVER

LINDSEY BOYLE

Lindsey is very serious and very organized and requested that this bio be written sensibly and in the style of a meeting agenda:

1. Welcome to Lindsey
2. What do we know about Lindsey?
4. Where did 3 go?
3. Oh there it is

VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF ANALYSIS

BRYNN HARRIS

Brynn has worked at The Sound since the very beginning. She has seen us grow from 2 people to nearly 50, she’s seen us win multiple awards, she’s seen our documentaries air on TV, she’s seen us open 6 offices around the world and yet still she refuses to fully obey Ian Pierpoint (her mentor and source of spiritual guidance). If she wasn’t very clever she would have been fired some time ago.

VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF FILM

DAVE REES

Dave is an award winning editor and ex drummer of the band SNFU. He dropped out of college, has never worn a suit and has lots of tattoos. When you enter ‘Generation X stereotype’ into Google he comes up just before Kurt Cobain.

BUSINESS MANAGER

DAVID KATZ

David’s real name is David Cats but in 1987 he changed the spelling to attract chicks. He has not looked back since.

ACCOUNTING MANAGER

VLAD GOUTMAN

Vlad imputes financial information. This means we get to call him Vlad the Imputer.

EDITOR

MATTHEW PEMBERTON

Matthew joined our fast growing Vancouver film team and to make room for him in the office we’ve finally had to get rid of the ping pong table. We hate him.

…We brought it back. We like him.

SENIOR MANAGER

CLEA STONE

Princess Clea started at The Sound as an intern and after she thwarted the sinister Sith Lord Darth Vader we took her on as a Senior Associate. She is based in our Alderaan office.

DESIGNER

MARISSA CARBONNEAU

Professionally trained as an interior designer, Marissa has absolutely no interest in research, branding or planning. Most days she sits around looking confused before popping out to get some plants, candles and white chiffon drapes. Our office looks like J Lo’s dressing room.

LEAD DESIGNER

ALEX MCFADDEN

Alex sees the world in colour, form and function like Neo sees the Matrix.

Is he the one? We certainly think so.

DESIGNER

PABLO CARVALHO

We noticed Pablo color coordinates his lunch to his shoes. A recent study determined people with neuroses may be more inclined to be creative geniuses. Hmmm…

OFFICE MANAGER

SHIREEN DIAS

Shireen is responsible for herding creative cats and babysitting our CEO. She drinks from a mug that declares ‘you have the same hours in a day as Beyonce.’ Shireen is a serious boss.

DIRECTOR

SANDY CHOUCHANI

Sandy is part of the Vancouver team, but, strangely, is based many many miles away in Buffalo.
Which makes me sit and wonder, like, why?
Why you left me
Oh Sandy.
Oh Sandy, baby, someday
When high school is done
Somehow, someway
Our two worlds will be one

Associate

ISSA BRAITHWAITE

The Sound’s one and only yacht-rocker in residence, Issa is an accomplished mariner and a distinguished matelot. Which is to say … the man knows his way around a sailboat. Starboard, portside, if you can name it, he’s got a nautical knack for it. But it’s not just knots that Issa is deft at untying. You should see him deconstruct a project brief. Aye Aye.